DIDSBURY - The pop-up park located just beside the AG Foods parking lot in Didsbury is looking good these days.
The park is the brainchild of resident Kevin Bentley, who has spent a considerable amount of his own time working on the spot.
In addition to a lovely flower garden, the pop-up park has a new little free library, a giant checkerboard and an area for chalk messages. Bentley also helped organize the building of and placing of close to 100 moose cut-outs at the fence across from Ross Ford Elementary School.
Bentley started the pop-up park in 2015 and has seen the space expand, particularly in 2017 with the Canada 150 tulips, which were planted in honour of the celebration.
"I thought it was a shame to have this site beside AG Foods overgrown with long grasss and weeds," said Bentley. "I thought it would be a great place to create public space -- a neighbourhood park for enjoyment and pleasure; a stopping place for those who walked to and from AG Foods; plus an opportunity to clean up the site."
Bentley said the project was also important to build positive community spirit through a project others could get involved with.
The new little library is one of seven that Bentley and others have made and placed around Didsbury in places such as at the post office, high school and museum.
The library at the site was modelled by Bentley after the Sunset Drive-in movie theatre, which used to be in Calgary before closing in 2003.
"The Sunset Drive-in was a drive-in on Edmonton Trail and 40th Avenue in Calgary where the Centre Street Church is now," said the former Calgary resident. "There are lots of historical pictures of the screens but none really of the entrance booth. I took some liberties in creating what I thought it might look like way back when.
"The little book house here is to honour the Sunset Drive-in but also to promote literacy and community. I hope people come by and enjoy the new little library in Didsbury."
Bentley has also updated the Canada 150 sign to add plus two since it's been two years.
"Canada 150 was 1967 to 2017," he said. "The plan here is to get community artwork displayed. Right now there's just a moose profile for fun, but the plan is to get artwork from residents of Aspen, Bethany, Unit #1 at the hospital, and just residents in general. We'll display the artwork over the rest of summer and fall."
Bentley added that the garden is looking very nice as well with a variety of colours and different types of flowers. Bentley is thankful for the help with the garden from residents such as Julian Ross, Barb and Wayne Green, Kathy Gammon and the Van Dyke family.
There is already artwork on display at the fence along 20th Street (near Ross Ford Elementary) to honour the "white socks" moose of 2016, the twins of 2017 and the triplets of 2018.
"The white socks and triplets mural was completed by Jean Elliot, while the triplets was done by a resident of Bethany Didsbury," he said. "The resident of Bethany was able to put aside her health challenges for a short period of time and with a smile on her face created something that the whole community can now enjoy."
